Coupling and steering unit



0% R. AKERS' COUPLING AND STEERING UNIT Filed June 29, 1945 INVENTOR. R, L H1: ens

(ML Mull HTTYS Patented Oct. 1, 1946 UNITED STATES erries I I v e l o V V .g j FCOUPEINGAND s'rcnnmornmm I I V I v e BichardJLamtenee Akers, fleoriamlll lassignorito G;'Le 'llonrneau;'1nc., Stockton, f Califaa cor-g mutation ofifi'alifornia Appli'ca tion- -June;-29, 1945;;Serial;No.;602,346:

1 This invention is directed to a, draft coupling and power steering unit Ior a. tractor-trailer ve-' hicle combination wherein said unit connects .the tractor. to a the, trailer .and additionally iunctions to. power steer. the, tractor regardless of, the rela tiire.,later'al tiltibetween the tractor and trailer as occasioned by the vehicle combination traversingrunevengmund.

ITI'he above. .drait. coupling :and poweresteering with its center ,of universal-movement .alined with a the longitudinal axisabout which said: unit is adapted vto-tilt relatiye to the tractor.

Another featureofuthe instant nyentionisto provide va .draft coupling .and ipower steering. unit Y which includes,. in, combination with a.pair--;of cooperating. members ,secured together 1-f011. rota:- rtionfiabout-ean upstanding axis -.and wherein .eone of., said. .me mbers is connected in. fixed relation. to theitrailer and theother of saidanemberstis conneetedelto "the tractor lfor, unitarylateral tilting; afraid-members relative to the same; arringegear secured concentrically iwithcvsaid. one. member ainion ,journaled on the vtmemberaand meshing with the "gear; andtdrive rmechanismrarrangedi to reversibly drive the pinion -from. the: tractcrgregardless of the relative lateral tilt betweenethe same. and saidunitarymembers.

--An additional feature of the inventioneis toprovide a draft coupling and powerwsteering unit which is simpleibutl-ruggedlin structure, and S7 exceedinglyieflective ior.- the-:pur,-p0se iorwhichit is intended."

- These ohjets are accomplished by means. of. 45

such: structurerand relative-arrangement for. parts speeificationgandclaimsi g V inr-t-he drzawing; similar characters of reference indicate eorresponding :partsiin the severalis'iews zEigune, "1v is =-a.-seetionalrelevationcfi the tim 7 -Befer-ring; new; Imore-panti ularly the ar eaters -Qirre e encesmr b awinsgsthe tgis shafts l4 and 1 10 Claims. l

adapted to the connected between the deck I at v the rear of-2a tractor j and the. front end v of; aerigid,

ionwardly;projectingvdraft tongue or yoke 2. of a-trai1er, .whereb y the tractor is connectedin draft and steerable relation" to": said 1 trailer; the unit comprising the following structure;

:Anupwardly facing, substantially circularsupporting; discv 3-15 edisposedahove-the deck l: in

spaced relation thereto;.saidsupporting disc+3 1 including legs -iwhich. depend:v therefrom. 0n oppositesides lengthwise eithe -tractor. .Adjacent their lower ends the legs 4 are laterallyswingably .or' tiltably ,journaled in connection with :a .substantially horizontal, longitudinally extending spindle 5 supportedwat' its ends by brackets is fixed .in cqn-nection with and upstanding .from the deck] of-the-itractor. e Y

Theqsupporting disc 3 is,,provided,,substantial1y centrally thereof, with. a rigid upstanding post Lot cylindrical configuration and about which postia sleeve. 8 ,is vturn-ably mounted. The sleeve Eris formedat itslower. end in connection with another disc 9 which seats inmatchingvtu'rnable relationconltopof the supporting disc}; the disc :S herein-aiterbeingltermed the upper disc.

The upperadisc extendsflbeyondthe periphery of the supporting disc 3 and the depending legs 4 as. tshoum and said upper. discis formed'at its periphery with a depending annular flange 1.0 iormed ontheinner face with an internal gear H. The supporting disc 3 is formed, at.ithe .back of the device, :i.. e. overhanging the 1 deck 4 rearwardly ofsthe spindle 5, with ,a' vertically spaced pair of bearing supporting rings [2 a which .carry hearings I 13.- forv an upstandingshaft V I4 journaled in connection with and. extending. between vsaid bearings. Betweenthe hearings Iv3..the shaft, l4 isiitted with a pinion; l-fi-which meshes with the internal ring-gear H. a I aAnother sha'ft 15 projects upwardly through the deck iircmwithin the tractor and into substantially endwise .alihement with the shaft 14:; the shaft l5-being selectively and reversibly driven hy tractor. engine-actuated power trans,- mission means (not :shown). Theuadiacent ends of; the-shafts Ill-and ltlare coupled together,

nearwardlyof thel's pindle fiq- Joy means oLauniiversal joint I?! whose-center. of uniyersalomoverment, is .alined. withhthe axis, -lof said; spindle 5., andiconsequentlyr the axis, of lateral tilting move.- mentl vo.;.the unitary assembly of discs 5; and}, together with-the nest. I. v and surrounding sleeved Irnctherv words; the universal joints, ll couples 6' in a rnannereso that tthe-lpinion ,lfi n ay driwan froi ni said shaft ,.lllilregardless of the relative lateral tilt between the tractor and the described power steering unit.

Such unit is connected in fixed relation to the trailer by means of a fiat, upstanding, and normally rearwardly facing attachment plate l8 formed with the sleeve 8 and upper disc 9, as shown; said attachment plate i8 being secured to a corresponding attachment plate IS on the front end of the draft tongue or yoke 2 of the trailer, by bolts 20.

When the power steering unit is in use, the selective reversible drive from theshafti I6 is transmitted, through the universal joint H, to the pinion l5, causing the same (to rotate with resultant travel between said pinion and the in-' ternal ring gear H. Such travel between the pinion and ring gear is reflected as relativerotasteering unit comprising a pair of cooperating about an upstanding axis, means adapted to connect one member in fixed relation to the trailer, means adapted to connect the other member to the tractor for unitary lateral tilting of said members relative to said tractor about a longitudinal axis, a ring gear securedjrconcentrically with'said one member, a pinion carried by and joumaled on the other member about a vertical axis and meshing with the gear, and a drive shaft assembly connected in driving relation to the pinion and operative regardless of the relative lateral tilt between the tractor and said unitary memtion between the post 1 and sleeve 8, which causes steering of the tractor relative to the trailer, and

which steering is accomplished, as previously eX- plained, regardless of the relative lateral tilt be- ;tween the steering unit and the tractor.

, From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in'practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. 7

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A tractor-trailer draft coupling and power steering unit comprising a pair of cooperating members secured together for relative rotation about an upstanding axis, means adapted to connect one member in fixed relation to the trailer, means adapted to connect the other member to the tractor for unitary lateral tilting of said members relative .to said tractor about alongitudinal axis, a ring gear secured concentrically with said one member, a pinion carried by and journaled on the other member about a vertical axis and meshing with the gear, and drive means connected in driving relation to the pinion and operable to drive the latter regardless of the relative lateral tilt between the tractor and said unitary members. a

1 2. A tractor-trailer draft coupling and power steeringunit comprising a pair of cooperating members secured together for relative rotation about an upstanding axis, means adapted to connect one member in fixed relation to the trailer, means adapted to connect the other member to the tractor for unitary lateral tilting of said members relative to said tractor about a longitudinal axis, a ring gear secured concentrically 'with said one member, a pinion carried by and journaled on the other member about a vertical axis and meshing with the gear, and mechanism arranged to reversibly drive the pinion regardless of the relativelateral tilt between the tractor and said unitary members; said mechanism including an upstanding pinion supporting shaft, an upstanding tractor supported drive shaft in substantially vertical alinement with the pinion of said unitary members. v V i '3; A tractor-trailer draft coupling and power bers; said drive shaft assembly including a universal joint disposed with its center of universal movement substantially alined with the axis of tilting movement of said unitary members.

4. A tractor-trailer draft coupling and power steering unit comprising a pair of cooperating members secured together for-relative rotation about an upstanding axis, means adapted to connect one member in fixed relation to the trailer, means adapted to connect the other member to the tractor for unitary lateral tilting of said members relative to said tractor about a longitudinal axis-a ring gear secured concentrically with said one member, a pinion carried by and journaled on the other member about a vertical axis and meshing with the gear, the pinion being disposed for rotation about -an upstanding axis, and an -'upstanding drives haft assembly 'connected tothe pinion, and said assembly including a universal joint with its centerof universal movement substantiallyalined with the axis of tilting of said members. V I

5. A tractor-trailer draft coupling and power steering unit comprising a pair of cooperating members secured together for relative rotation about an upstanding axis, means adapted to connect one member in fixed relation to the trailer, means adapted to connect the other member to the tractor for unitary lateral tilting of said members relative to said tractor about a longitudinal axis, a ring gear secured concentrically with said one member, a pinion carried by and journaled on the other member about a vertical axis and meshing with the gear, the pinion being disposed for rotation about an upstanding axis, and an upstanding drive shaft assembly con nected tothe pinion, and said assembly including a universal joint with its center of universal movement substantially alined with the axis of tilting movement of said unitary members.

6. A tractorytrailer draft coupling and power steering unit comprising an upwardly facing supporting disc, meansadapted to mount the disc on the tractor for relative lateral tilting about a longitudinally extending axis, another disc mounted in face to face relation on the supporting disc and being rotatable thereon about a vertical axis, means adapted to fix said other disc in rigid connectionwith the trailer, and driving mechanism, including a universal joint, arranged to cause relative rotation between the discs the center of universal movement'of such joint being substantially alined with the longitudinal axis 'of tiltingof said supporting'disc whereby the relative rotation between the discs may be'effected without affecting the relative lateral tilt between the'supDOrtin'g disc and the tractor. v '7. Atractor -trailer draft coupling and power steering unit comprising an upwardly facing supporting disc, means adapted to mount the disc on the tractor'for relative lateral tilting about porting disc, means adapted to mount the disc on the tractor for relative lateral tilting about a longitudinally extending axis, an upstanding post on said supporting disc, a sleeve relatively turnably surrounding the post, another disc on the lower end of the post engaging said supporting disc for relative rotation, means adapted to fix the sleeve in rigid connection with the trailer, and driving mechanism, including a universal joint, arranged to cause relative rotation between the post and sleeve, the center of universal movement of said joint being substantially alined with the longitudinal axis disc whereby the relative rotation between the post and sleeve may be effected without affecting the relative lateral tilt between the supporting disc and the tractor.

9. A tractor-trailer draft coupling and power steering unit comprising an upwardly facing supporting disc, means adapted to mount the disc of tilting of said supporting on the tractor for relative lateraltilting about. a longitudinally extending axis, an upstanding post on said'supporting disc, a sleeve relatively turnably surrounding the post, another disc on the lower end of the post engaging; said supporting disc for relative rotation, means-adapted to fix cthe sleeve in rigid connection-with the trailer,

and driving mechanism, including a universal 'joint, arranged to cause relative rotation between the post and sleeve; the universal joint being disposed with its center of universal movement substantially alined with said longitudinally extending axis.

10. Atractor-trailer draft coupling and power steering unit comprising an upwardly facing supporting disc, means adapted to mount the disc on the tractor for relative lateral tilting about a longitudinally extending axis, an upstanding post On said supporting disc, a sleeve relatively turnably surrounding the post, another disc on the lower end of the post engaging said supporting disc for relative rotation, means adapted tov fix the sleeve in rigid connection with the trailer, a ring gear on said other disc, a pinion journaled in connection with the supporting disc and meshing with said gear, the pinion having an upstanding axis, and an upstanding drive shaft assembly coupled to the pinion; said assembly including a universal joint whose center of universal movement is substantially alined with said longitudinally extending axis.

RICHARD LAWRENCE AKERS. 

